Lights Out Tonight (25 page)

Police Chief Howard Stanley stood in front of the crowd of law enforcement and civilian volunteers who had gathered in the driveway. Caroline estimated there were about seventy-five people there. Among them, she recognized Remington Peters, Victoria Sterling, Keith Fallows, and Langley Tate. All of them looked tired.

“We still have no actual indication that a crime has been committed,” Chief Stanley told the group. “But because Ms. Winthrop hasn’t turned up, not even for her theater performance last night, there is real cause for concern. Thank you for coming this morning to help in the search.”

He held up a piece of paper. “There are maps of the property on the table over there. Please take one of them. Also, officers will be coming through the crowd handing out whistles.”

Caroline and Annabelle, along with everyone else, took maps and whistles.

“There are one hundred fifty acres here,” Stanley continued. “You’ll see on the map we’ve drawn in search corridors. Each corridor will be traversed in two directions, at right angles to each other. In this way, the entire area will be searched.”

“You’ll divide into groups of four and keep to your assigned lane. When you get to the woods, stop every minute and blast your whistles, listen for a possible response, and then repeat the process.”

“One last thing, the woods are full of places where the
ground opens up, leading to underground caves. Some of them are on your map, some are not, so please be very careful.”

“What about animals and things?” asked one of the volunteers.

“Anything out there is more afraid of you than you are of it,” said Chief Stanley.

“I’ve heard there are bobcats in this area,” another searcher called out.

“Yes, but bobcats tend to be active very early in the morning and then again from three hours or so before sunset until around midnight. So we should be clear now. Besides, bobcats are generally pretty shy, unless they’re provoked. And no one is going to do that, right?”

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The searchers were dividing up and moving to their positions when Caroline spotted Meg walking up the driveway.

“Dad told me about the search,” she said. “He just dropped me off as he left to drive to the airport.”

Good,
thought Caroline. Nick had gone to see his daughter, just as she’d suggested.

“I’m proud of you, Meg, for getting up so early to join the
search. The maps are on the table,” she said. “Go get one and grab a whistle.”

As Meg walked off, Caroline turned to Annabelle. “Let’s have Meg join our group, all right?”

“Fine with me,” said Annabelle. “But you know, I’ve been thinking that one of us should stay back here at the base in case one of the other groups finds anything. Why don’t I stay here with my camcorder, and you and Meg go with Lamar and Boomer?”

Caroline considered the suggestion. “Maybe it would be better if you went along with the search and I stayed behind, Annabelle. I have a feeling that there will be more action out there than here, and you’d be better at covering it.”

“All right, then,” said Annabelle as she handed the small video camera to Caroline. “Just in case, let me give you a quick lesson in how to use this. It’s really easy.”

The volunteers spread out across the edge of the property. Slowly, methodically, they walked the grounds, their eyes trained downward. When they got through the meadow, Caroline heard the whistles begin to sound as the search of the woods started.

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Gus came out of the garage and made his way to the makeshift command post. He knew he should join the search for Belinda. It would look bad if he didn’t. He stopped at the table, asked where he should go, and started across the meadow.

Gus was watched until the woods swallowed him from view.

“He worries me,” Chief Stanley said. “Now that we know he’s done time, I think we should take this chance to look at his place.”

“What about a warrant?” asked the other cop.

“The garage is Belinda Winthrop’s property.”

“But it’s
his
home, Chief.”

Chief Stanley glared at his subordinate. “If we find something that leads us to Belinda Winthrop, nobody’s gonna raise hell about a warrant. And if we hurry, we can go through the place before he gets back. He’ll never even know we were there.”

Caroline saw the police officers walking toward the garage. She pointed the camcorder and recorded about twenty seconds of images.

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Meg stopped, blew her whistle, and waited. She listened for some sort of response, but only a bird’s chirp answered her. Meg could hear other whistles sounding in the distance. She didn’t get the feeling they were getting any replies, either.

She held up her wrist and checked the time. “I think I better get going,” she said to her search companions. “I’m speaking at the memorial service this afternoon, and I haven’t finished my talk yet.”

“Lamar or Boomer, would one of you mind walking Meg back?” asked Annabelle.

“No,” said Meg. “I’ll be fine.”

She started back in the direction from which they’d come, through the tall trees, along the stream that ran through the
woods. Meg figured she didn’t have too far to go until she would reach the end of the shadowy forest and come into the meadow when she heard what she thought was a twig snapping behind her. She turned but saw nothing except dark tree trunks standing imposingly. A gray squirrel scampered through the ferns and undergrowth that covered the ground.

Meg continued back.

The killer stood against the thick trunk of an oak tree, straining to hear the rustling sound of Meg’s steps on the leafy forest floor.

This wasn’t the time to grab her. There were too many people looking for Belinda, unaware that they were passing within yards of the woman for whom they were searching.

Smarter to take care of Meg later, when it would be less likely that anyone would see.

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Belinda could hear the whistles. As she lay on her back on the cave floor, tears of gratitude filled her eyes. People were actually looking for her.
Thank you, God. Thank you.

She waited as the sound of the whistles grew closer. When it seemed the sound was coming from almost directly above her, she called out.

“Help. I’m here. Down here.”

But though she summoned every bit of energy, Belinda’s voice was only a weak rasp.

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The two policemen opened and looked through every closet and cabinet in Gus Oberon’s garage apartment. They searched under the bed and through his dresser drawers.

“Be careful,” instructed Chief Stanley. “Try not to upset things. Try to leave things just the way Oberon left them.”

“These drawers are such a mess, Chief. They look like he took an eggbeater to ’em. I doubt the guy would even be able to tell we touched anything.”

“When you’re done with the dresser, check that bookcase,” said the chief as he flipped over the mattress on the unmade bed.

The ziplock plastic bag containing marijuana was found behind stacked copies of
Penthouse, Playboy,
and other, even less reputable, men’s magazines.

“With all we’ve got going on right now,” said Chief Stanley, “a dime bag isn’t worth bringing him in for. Put it back where he hid it.”

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Caroline stood at a safe distance from the garage, her camera poised to take more video of the Warrenstown policemen when they came out of Gus’s apartment.

“What are you doing?”

She jumped at the voice that came from behind her.

“Oh, you scared me, Meg,” said Caroline as she closed her eyes for a moment.

“I didn’t mean to,” said Meg. “I’ve got to get back to campus and wanted to let you know. But what
are
you doing?”

“The police are in Gus Oberon’s apartment. I’m getting pictures.”

Meg’s face clouded.

“What’s wrong?” Caroline asked.

“I’ve bought pot from Gus.”

“Oh, Meg. No.” Caroline groaned.

“I just hope he doesn’t keep any written records,” said Meg.

The police came out of the garage, and Caroline watched as they headed for the carriage house. This time she could see them insert a key in the front door lock and walk right in.

Caroline recorded it all, then walked up the hill, trying to stay out of sight by keeping well to the side of the path that led to the artist’s studio.